Padding assembly for spring structures



Jan. 29, 1957 G, PLA-n- 2,779,036

PADDING ASSEMBLY F'OR SPRING STRUCTURES Filed Jan. 2, 1953 y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VEN TOR,

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Jan. 29, 1957 J. G. PLATT 2,779,036

PDDING ASSEMBLY FOR SPRING STRUCTURES Filed Jan. 2, 3.953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 JNVENTOR, J071/l G Pia/7.'

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PADDING ASSEMBLY FOR SPRING STRUCTURESv John G. Platt, Carthage, Mo., assigner to Flex-O-Lators, Inc., Carthage, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application January z, 195s, serial No. 329,264

yz Claims. (ci. s3s4) This' invention relates to'newand useful improvements in padding assemblies or structures for spring structures, and has particular reference to a pad of cushioning material having molded to its one surface a reinforcing and stiffening fabric sheet.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a substantially thick pad of moldable cushioning material faced at one surface thereof with a sheet of fabric provided at its one side with a plurality of elongated pliable strands joined together with a series of spaced apart, resilient strands of wire interwoven in said fabric and secured at their opposite ends to the respective outside pliable strands, said fabric and pliable strands being molded to said cushioning material.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a substantially thick pad of moldable cushioning material having partially embedded into one face thereof a reinforcing and stiffening sheet of woven material.

Other objects are the provision of a padding structure of simple and economical construction, efficiency of operation, and adaptability for use with various types and forms of spring structures.

With these objects in View, as well as other objects which will appear in the course of the specification, reference will be had to the drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a padding assembly embodying the present invention, mounted on a spring structure.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an inverted plan view of the padding assembly.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of the padding assembly similar to Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary cross sectional view similar to Fig. 4, showing a modified form of the padding assembly wherein the cross wires are offset at spaced apart intervals to extend above the fabric to be embedded in the moldable cushioning material.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan View of the reinforcing .and stiffening sheet shown in Fig. 6, with parts broken away.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of another modified form of the reinforcing and stiffening fabric.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of another modified form of the reinforcing and stiffening fabric.

Reference will be had to the drawing, wherein like reference numerals apply to similar parts throughout the several views, and the numeral 10 designates a substantially thick pad of cushioning material preferably made of a moldable material such as sponge or foam rubber. Mold-ed onto one face of said pad is a reinforcing and stiffening sheet member designated generally by the numeral 12. For forming the assembly it has been found convenient to assemble sheet member 12 and position it in a suitable moldbox into which liquid rubber is then poured for congealing about said reinforcing sheet parts, thereby providing a good and secure bond between -ously illustrated forms.

of its extended ends to present an eye 42, said eyes facili-v Patented Jan. 29,l 1957 stantially smoothlower surface adapted to rest on the upper ends of coil springs 14, and with its more or less irregular upperu surface embedded in said molded pad.

Reinforcing and stiifening sheet 12 comprises a strip of fabric 16 which maybe burlap or other similar material, and into which is interwoven by stitching or sewing a series of spaced apart transverse resilient wires 18 which at their opposite ends are looped clampingly about pliable strands 20 disposed adjacent .the opposite parallel edges of said fabric sheet 16. Intermediate strands 20 is a pliable strand`22 which is clamplingly engaged by loops 24 formedrin each of said wires 18. When the width of the pad assemblyis greater than that shown it may be found" advantageous to increase the number of intermediate pliable strands to properly stiffen and reinforce said pad assembly,I and to hold wires 18 in properly spaced relation throughout their lengths. The pliable strands may be made of any suitable material, but more or less loose, penetrable strandsY such. as twisted paper have beenfound particularly efficient in bonding tightly in the rubber pad.

For properly fixing pad 10 =to the spring structure 26, an upholstering fabric 28 is positioned over the upper surface of pad 10 to extend downwardly therefrom for attachment with the underside of base member 30 by means of fasteners 32.l Base 30 supports springs 14. For maintaining the cushion and parts in taut and fixed relation coil springs 34 are mounted and retained under tension in the usual manner.

The portions of wires 18 exposed at the outer surface of fabric sheet 16 are also useful in securely attaching the padding assembly to the springs 14, or any other part of the supporting spring structure 26, since they may conveniently be attached to the springs or other spring structure elements by means of any suitable type of clip or fastener, not shown. A suitable Itype of fastener would be the split-ring type commonly known as a hog ring. When the padding structure is so attached, the wires 18, though not themselves deeply embedded in the rubber pad are adequately and efficiently supported by fabric sheet 16, which is in turn securely molded to the rubber pad.

When the term wire is referred to in this specification it has reference to a strand of metal or any other suitable resilient material which has sufficient stiffness to support the cushioning material against crowding downwardly into or between springs 14.

The modified form of reinforcing and stiffening sheet shown in Figs. 6 and 7 differs somewhat from that above described in that this sheet is provided with special wires 36 similar to wires 1S but having a series of spaced apart upwardly extending offsets 38 adapted to be embedded deeply into the rubber pad 1f) for more securely binding the parts together. The main coil springs are designated by the numeral 34 in Fig. 6. v

Fig. 8 shows another modified form of the reinforcing and stiiiening sheet wherein a plurality of strands 40 of resilient wire are woven or sewe through :the fabric 16 and extend outwardly from the edges of said fabric and out of the rubber pad, which whilenot shown in Fig. 8 is coextensive with the fabric sheet as in the previ- Each wire is yformed at each tating the connection of the padding assembly to the spring structure by means of hog rings or the like, as described above.

Fig. 9 `shows a further modification ofthe padding assembly wherein a strand of flexible wire 44 is formed in serpentine shape to present a plurality of parallell reaches interwoven or sewed in fabric sheet 16. 1t will be noted It will be noted that the sheet 1Z`is positioned on the bottom side of pad 10 with its subthat the return bends 46 of the Wire are disposed at opposite edges of the fabric strip 16 to serve to receive fastening means whereby the padding assembly is secured to the spring structure. Also the bends 46 are disposed at the upper face of the fabric sheet 16 so as to be molded into the rubber pad, thereby securing the parallel reaches of the Wire against longitudinal movement in the assembly.

While l have 4shown and described certain lspecific embodiments of my invention, it is readily apparent that many other modifications of structure could be made without departing from `the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims.

p What I claim as new and desire to .protect by Letters Patent is:

l. A padding assembly comprising a pad of substantial thickness formed of moldable cushioning material, and a fabricated reinforcing and stilfening sheet molded into one face of saidl pad, said fabricated sheet having a plurality of longitudinal pliable strands joined together by a series of spacedapart transverse strands of resilient wire, each of said wires having longitudinally spaced portions thereof offset inwardly to` project within said pad.

2. A padding assembly comprising a pad of substantial thickness formed of foam rubber, and a fabricated reinforcing and stitfening sheet disposed against one face of said pad, said fabricated sheet including a sheet of fabric moldably secured to said pad over substantially the entire area thereof, a plurality of spaced apart longitudinal pliable strands arranged along the inner face of said fabric sheet and moldably embedded in said pad, and a plurality of parallel spaced apart transverse wires stitched through said fabric sheet and secured to said pliable strands, the portions of said Wires exposed at the outer face of said fabric being adapted to be utilized in attaching said assembly to a spring structure, and the portions of said' wires disposed at the inner face of said fabric being offset inwardly to project Within said pad.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,000,114 Williams et al. May 7, 1935 2,099,586 Williams Nov. 16, 1937 2,133,762 Williams Oct. 18, 1938 2,221,507 Clark Nov. 12, 1940 2,227,685 Williams et al. Ian. 7, 1941 2,272,493 Williams Feb. 10, 1942 2,273,064 Owen Feb. 17, 1942 2,283,116 Young May 12, 1942 2,459,758 Flint Jan. 18, 1949 2,582,479 Clark Jan. 15, 1952 

